Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!
Chapter 51: ’The Night Before...’

Chapter 51: ’The Night Before...’

After spending time with Heinz, Florian made it a point to tell Lucius that he had no desire to swim in an ocean filled with sharks. Of course, Lucius was visibly confused, tilting his head slightly at the unfamiliar word. That was when Florian was reminded—yet again—that not everything from his world existed here.

’Right... no sharks in this world. Noted.’

Anyway, every corridor and open space he was supposed to walk through on his way back to his room was filled with bystanders, all eager to gossip about him. He could feel their eyes, their hushed whispers brushing against his ears like an ever-present breeze. Even Camilla and Scarlett were still lingering nearby, no doubt waiting for another opportunity to strike up a conversation.

Florian had no patience for that.

So, he turned to Lucius. "Use that magic stone thing Delilah always carries," he said, lowering his voice. "The one that lets people access halls without having to walk."

Lucius, ever composed, gave a small nod. "As you wish, Your Highness."

And that was how Florian found himself back in his room, lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"How was it, Your Highness?" Cashew asked, standing beside the bed, hands neatly folded in front of him.

"It wasn’t bad, really. Much calmer than I expected."

The only thing that truly bothered him was Heinz’s mood swings. Florian was no fool—he could tell something was off with the king. The way he spoke about the princesses, the way he asked if they were threats... something wasn’t right.

"Hey, Lucius," Florian called, shifting his gaze to the butler, who had—as usual—remained inside his room after escorting him back.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

Florian propped himself up slightly on his elbows. "Why do you think His Majesty asked me that question?"

Lucius, who had been standing near the bookshelf, turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable. He was silent for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words. Then, he exhaled softly.

"I do not know," he admitted, "but... I might have some theories."

Florian arched a brow. "And those are?"

Lucius finally met his gaze. Adjusting his gloves, he spoke evenly. "The former queen—King Heinz’s mother—is the reason His Majesty does not wish for a queen. He loved her dearly. And when she passed away... he ensured that the concubine—Prince Hendrix’s mother—would never take her place. King Heinz only wants his mother to be remembered as the one true queen."

Florian frowned. "But what does that have to do with him asking if the princesses were threats to the kingdom? And if he doesn’t want a queen, why did he suddenly start looking for one?"

Lucius regarded him for a long moment before responding. "I believe you misunderstood his question, Your Highness. I do not think he was asking if the princesses were threats to the kingdom... I believe he was asking if any of them were threats to themselves."

Florian blinked. "What... do you mean?"

Lucius’ face darkened slightly as he adjusted his glasses. "You may not know this, as you were not born and raised here, but Her Majesty, the late queen... In the final moments of her life, she lost her mind."

’Really? I didn’t know this.’ Florian’s fingers twitched against the sheets. ’Kaz and I never really fleshed out Heinz’s past or his family. We never gave him a backstory beyond being a ruthless ruler.’

"She lost her mind?" he repeated, tilting his head slightly.

Lucius nodded. "She became aggressive. She would lash out—hurting King Heinz at times—and she would wander the palace halls, sobbing uncontrollably."

Florian felt a cold shiver creep down his spine. "Why?"

"That... I cannot say. Because I do not know."

Florian hummed, deep in thought. ’So, Heinz was making sure none of the princesses were unstable like his mother?’ That explanation made sense, but something still didn’t sit right with him. Heinz’s expression earlier... that darkness in his face wasn’t simple anger. It was something else.

There was still one question left.

"What was the queen’s cause of death?" Florian asked, his voice quieter now.

Lucius’ gaze remained steady. His lips parted, and he answered in a single word.

"Suicide."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

A few hours had passed, and night had already fallen. The palace was quiet, save for the distant sounds of the evening wind rustling through the trees outside.

Florian exhaled, forcing himself to push aside thoughts of Heinz and what he had learned earlier. There was no point in dwelling on it now. Instead, he decided to use his solitude to focus on what truly mattered—tomorrow.

Lucius was finalizing the preparations for the upcoming trip, and Cashew was handling other matters on his behalf. With both of them occupied, Florian had a rare moment to himself.

Reaching for his notebook, he flipped it open, scanning the hastily scribbled notes he had written down from memory.

"The princesses and Florian will travel for several hours, each in their own carriage. Each will have two servants accompanying them, while a handful of knights ride alongside for protection."

Florian muttered the words under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he read on.

"Near the village, a large group of rogues will ambush them, using illegal magic tools to slaughter the knights before forcibly dragging the princesses from their carriages. Florian will almost escape, but one rogue will take notice of him—not because he’s a threat, but because of his face. Rumors of the ’sole prince of the harem’ will have already spread, and they will decide to take him as well."

Florian swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the page. He knew what came next.

As far as the novel went, they would be taken deep into the forest, to an underground hideout where the rogues operated in secrecy.

And then...

’One of the worst scenes in this novel... Florian’s assault.’

Florian clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay calm. Panicking wouldn’t help—he needed to think. There had to be a way to prevent the kidnapping without raising suspicion.

He flipped to a blank page in his notebook, tapping the quill against his chin as he ran through his options.

’If I warn Heinz, there’s a high chance he’ll be able to stop the attack... but that also means explaining how I know about it. And if he suspects me of being involved, I’ll be in just as much danger as the princesses.’

No, that wasn’t an option anymore.

’What about telling Lucius? He’s sharp—he might believe me if I frame it as a gut feeling. But even then, how much could he do? He doesn’t have the authority to change security measures without solid proof.’

Florian exhaled sharply and set the quill down. He needed something more direct. Something within his control.

’Lancelot isn’t an option either. The head of the royal knights already doesn’t trust me. Even if I bring it up as a concern, he’ll likely brush it off or think I’m trying to manipulate the situation.’

So, what was his only option?

He drummed his fingers against the desk, staring at the flickering candlelight as his mind raced.

’Sabotaging the carriages? No. Too many eyes. If I get caught tampering with them, I’m done.’

Florian let out a frustrated sigh, pressing his fingers to his temple. He had to think of something.

His head.

His head.

His eyes widened slightly as an idea struck him.

"I can delay the trip," he muttered under his breath.

A week ago, he’d had a minor ’accident’—one that left him with a concussion. It wasn’t severe, but what if he claimed it was bothering him again? If he acted sick, complained of dizziness or nausea, it might be enough to push back the departure.

And if that didn’t work...

’Worst comes to worst, I might have to make it worse.’

The thought sent a shiver down his spine. Deliberately injuring himself wasn’t ideal, but compared to what would happen if he let things play out as they did in the novel, it was a small price to pay.

’If I can delay the princesses’ departure, even by a few hours, that might be enough. The original timeline had them leaving early in the morning, while Heinz was supposed to follow later. The rogues knew they weren’t traveling together and planned accordingly. But if I can delay it enough so that we leave at the same time as Heinz, the entire ambush falls apart.’

That would be the best-case scenario.

Florian swallowed, gripping the edges of his notebook.

It wasn’t a perfect plan. There were risks. But right now, this was the only option he had.

And it had to work.